Thankless
by Ethos
Summary: Edit: CANCELLED. I'm too darn frustrated with the show. People don't surprise me much anymore. Still, I have to admit that I was a little... taken back by Dean's reaction. After all, I went through Hell to give him a hand... literally.
1. Mission

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: This is my take on Castiel's side of the story. It's meant to be cannon, but seeing as we know almost nothing about Castiel (heck, I'm not even sure I believe that he really is an angel of the Lord), it's quite possible that this will end up being AU.

* * *

I sat in the middle of a wide field. It was warm with the sun shining on my face. There was a light breeze though, and I was propped up against a young oak. I had a glass of wine in one hand, but my eyes were slowly starting to drift shut. Sleep was beckoning.

Just then a figure appeared before me. Tall, strong he was the sort who would draw every eye to him the moment he entered a room. Immediately I hauled myself to my feet and nodded to him. I had a high enough rank these days that I could speak casually with him, but Michael was not one you wanted to trifle with.

"I knew you'd be here," the being said.

I tilted my head to look at him out the corner of my eye. "Are you here on business?" I asked.

"I'm afraid so. It's time. Remember the boys Mary Winchester asked us to keep an eye on? Well, Samuel's begun his trip of self-discovery."

"Already?"

"Castiel, it's been ten years since you last patrolled the boarder."

I raised my eyebrows. Time flies when you're immortal. "Is that so? Well, are we going to stop him?"

"I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that. You see, Sam died."

"Problem solved," I said, giving a light shrug.

"Hardly. It seems Dean had some difficulty coping with the whole thing. He had a little discussion with our friend at the cross-roads."

I cursed. Yes, angels can curse... we do have free will you know, but it's highly frowned upon. Michael gave me a sour look, but didn't say anything. I think he agreed with me more than he was willing to admit. "How long does he have left?"

"He doesn't. They took him about four months ago."

"Well isn't that wonderful. I'd hate to be the poor fool who has to get him back."

"Funny that you should say that..."

Looking up at him, I felt my mouth open, but no words came out for a long moment. "I should have known," I said at last.

"I'm sorry that I have to ask you to do this. Trust me, I would love to pick someone else. You deserve some peace and quiet, but the thing is, you're the best one for the job. You know it. I know it."

Wouldn't you know it? Oh well, what he was saying was true. I hadn't achieved the rank I had by failing missions in the past. More than that, though, he knew I wouldn't quit, no matter how much I hated the task. Don't get me wrong. Saving the world is good and all, but I'd seen my share of fighting. Wasn't it time for some of our lesser brothers to earn their spurs? I didn't say any of that though. It wasn't my place. "So how are we going to do this?"

"Pick a few seraphim that you trust to have your back. I hope you're as good a leader as you seem, because you're going to be storming Hell's gates quite literally."

"That's a bit of a suicide run, don't you think?"

Michael sighed. "I know. I know it is, and I'm sorry for it, but we can't exactly lay siege to the place, not yet. So someone's got to do it. I figured that you, out of all my lieutenants, had the best chance of making it out of there alive."

"How do I decide who's going to go with me?"

"Castiel, you've made tough choices before. You can do it again."

"I know. I never did enjoy them though."

"Who does? Sam's charging down that slippery slope at a full-on sprint, so I'm afraid you won't have much time to plan. I need you and your men to get there and get it done as quickly as you can."

"So how are we going to stop Sam?"

"You'll keep an eye on Dean afterwards, give him a hand. As for Sam, he has to be stopped, but violence is a last option, understood? We're no better than them if we start cutting down innocents, and Sam is still trying to fight on our side... for however long that will last."

I nodded. "It's good as done."

"Good. God bless."

"You too."

With that Michael dissolved into thin air, and I was left in an open field once again. Looking at my glass of wine, I sighed and poured it on the ground.


	2. To Hell and Back

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Here's our search and rescue mission. Just for the record, writing fighting scenes that take place in Hell is pretty darn tricky. Sorry if it turns out a little... off.

* * *

"Are you ready?" I asked, coming up behind Portien.

"Almost," he replied without looking up from his work. He was sitting on the wall, sharpening an antique blade. Now, l know there's that old stereotype about my kind going around in togas, with harps and fluffy wings, and, if they're fighting, fighting with swords. Well... the whole toga period ended around 500 A.D., and personally, classical music isn't my thing, but we do still use swords... at least some of the time. They're no mortal weapons though, so save your laughter until you've seen one in action.

"I'm getting the impression that Michael wanted this done five minutes ago, so try and speed it up a bit."

"No problem."

I sat down beside him then, leaning forward, hands clasped in my lap, watching him go about his work with the utmost care. After my commander had left, I'd started going through intelligence reports, getting myself back up to speed both on the mortal world and on the front. He wasn't kidding, over the past year, we'd gone from occasional skirmishes to actually joining battle in the physical realm. Honestly, I was surprised I'd been left out of it this long, but I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

My plan at this point was pretty simple. Yes, Michael had told me to grab a few soldiers, but the actual number was up to me. After looking at how things were, it seemed apparent that covert was the way to go. So it was just me and Portien gearing up today. One to grab the kid, the other to cover what would hopefully be the fastest retreat of all time. I couldn't think of anyone I'd trust more in that situation than the soldier who sat next to me now.

"There!" Portien said, grinning at his freshly sharpened and oiled blade. "That should do it. They won't know what hit them."

All I could muster was a half-hearted laugh. "Don't do anything stupid, ok? We're not trying to end this war today. Just get in and get out."

"I know. I know. Don't worry. You ready?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

Standing up, we walked down off the ramparts. The gates opened. The gates closed. We were in purgatory. The next few hours of my life were perfectly miserable. Conversation died fairly quickly. After all, there wasn't much to say in a situation like this, and there was a lot on our minds. If you want to know what traveling across purgatory's like, take a road trip through western Kansas, but then take away the overpasses, the crops, the houses, the trees, the telephone poles, any and all towns, livestock, and any cool thunderstorms that might manage to pop up while you're there. Got the image? Good. Now you know why purgatory has such a bad reputation. Even worse though, is the fact that we knew exactly what sort of mess we were getting ready to go into.

Then we saw the black clouds on the horizon and the land died around us. Once again things changed, and then we were there. I won't try to describe Hell, words won't even begin to give you the picture. It's Hell. That's all there is to it. Hopefully you'll never find yourself in a position to give a more detailed description than that.

We kept our heads low. At least we tried. Anything holy stands out in a rather... remarkable... way down there. Fortunately, this wasn't the first time we'd had to try to blend in, so we were fairly good at it.

There was a thick unease in that place. I felt filthy simply by the presence of those who lived there. I felt far too warm and my skin prickled as my sixth sense warned me of danger. Talk about stating the obvious. Glancing over my shoulder, I could just barely make out Portien trailing me, sword glimmering ever-so-faintly in the shadows, then I turned my eyes ahead of me again, looking for any sign of the Winchester boy.

Unfortunately, they could sense our presence as well as we could sense theirs, though they had to be a good deal closer. So when one passed near enough that I almost bumped into him, he turned and studied me for a long moment. All at once, our secrecy was gone. Shouting, he charged at us. I started to reach an empty hand toward him, but Portien was there in a blink, burying his blade deep and lightning began to ark in the shadow until it dissipated. Still, it had been enough, and all around us enemies were lunging closer.

Suddenly I noticed a shape in the distance that was not like the rest. Winchester! "Portien, this way!" I yelled, and leapt forward, trying to get to the prize before our enemy hemmed us in. One jumped into my path, his weapon glittering as he prepared to use it, but I pointed at him. There was a shriek and a blast of smoke, then my way was clear again, though only for a moment.

They drew nearer, crowding us, trying to keep us away from our goal. I cleared a few steps at a time in front of us, while I felt Portien at my back, keeping his share at bay. Still, around us the air heated until it boiled, and any foe that we missed tore at us.

At last we were there. I looked at Dean, who was still a boy to my mind, though he was a man in truth. He was tossing weakly in his bindings, whimpering for his brother in a voice so quiet and parched, I almost couldn't here it. He was delirious at the least. I wished that I could be so removed from the situation at hand. I closed my eyes for a moment, calling upon my master and the authority he'd given me, and all at once the chains fell off, and I caught him by the shoulder before he could fall. A scream ripped out of his throat then, and I realized that my hand had burned him.

Suddenly there was a bright flash, burning my eyes. Turning and looking behind me, Portien was nowhere to be found. I felt a kick in the gut and my jaw clinched. But mourning was a luxury that I did not have at the moment. I could see the passage to the mortal world in the distance and I soared toward it with all speed, Dean in tow.

Beside me, behind me, shadow followed. They howled and cursed, clawed and cut, but no single weapon of theirs had the power to kill me. Nonetheless, I could feel my wings tater and the pain from all the small cuts was nearly maddening. I don't know how I kept my grip on Winchester, but somehow I did.

Then, all at once I burst into the clean air of a forest. I was close now. I remembered finding the headstone before we'd left, it was close to here, but this was a loosing race. I had to find it now or it would be too late. Suddenly I saw the block of marble sticking up through the grass. Stopping in front of it, I hurled Dean back into his body. It wasn't a gentle thing, but I didn't have time to worry about such things at the moment. It would not do to throw his soul back into a ruined body, so I touched the ground above his grave and waited for a moment until I knew that whatever wounds there were had been mended. Looking back up, I was just in time to see the nearest one jam a knife into my shoulder. Flinching lightly, I grabbed hold of him and threw him onto the ground behind me. Before I could even stand up strait again another one tackled me, bearing me to my knees.

I knew I couldn't fight this one in any normal manner. Desperate times call for desperate measures, they say. So even as I threw her off me, I sent my mind back to my master. Suddenly I felt the power and I let it explode. My enemies were cut down like wheat. Trees were uprooted and thrown on their sides. I collapsed.

Groaning, I climbed to my hands and knees. I looked around me as I panted, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, I found none of them in sight. I put my hand on my knee and used it to lever me too my feet, and I staggered a few steps to the side before I gained my balance. I'd just literally been through Hell, and I felt it.

Well, there was no danger now. Dean Winchester was free to get back on his feet whenever he chose. It was my duty to stay with him, help him, but right now, I knew I would be no use to him. Gathering my strength, I closed my eyes and I was gone.


	3. Disappointment

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Alright, here's where Castiel as a bit of a... failure to communicate. This is the last chapter that I have already finished, so there might be a bit of a delay from now on, but hopefully not.

* * *

The gates seemed to waver in my sight. I stumbled up to them and they opened, but I only took one step past them.

I woke up with Gresso leaning over me. Squinting, I looked up at him.

"I take it that things didn't go well?" he asked in a dry tone.

"As well as could be expected," I answered, my voice feeling even rougher than usual.

"Portien?"

I shook my head.

"That's a shame. Good soldier, that one."

"I know." Silence dragged on for a long moment, while I lost myself to my thoughts. Suddenly I remembered the difference in time lapse between Heaven and Earth, and I pushed myself to a sitting potion on bed I'd been put on. "How long has it been? Down stairs, I mean?"

"Just a few hours." He studied me for a moment, before understanding dawned on him. "So you actually managed to get him out?"

I just nodded.

"Darn you're good!"

"Do you mind passing on the word on up? I need to get back down there and watch that boy. By all reports, he's got a rare talent at finding trouble."

"No problem. Are you heading down already?"

"Yeah. See you around."

"Right back at you."

With that I stood up and walked out the door. I was tired and sore, but there was no pain now, Heaven having worked it's magic on me. Honestly, I'd probably been here too long. Gresso was a good soldier, don't get me wrong, but he's more soft-hearted even than most of the others. If I hadn't woken up when I did, he would have let me sleep the next year away. As it was, chances were that I was going to have to have to drag Winchester out of some sort of mischief or another.

Eyes closing, I opened them and found myself back at the headstone. Based on the signs around it, Dean had already taken off. Fortunately, he wasn't that difficult to track, especially in his state.

I have to admit, I was impressed to some degree by the distance he'd walked in this bright sunlight. Then again, it was nothing compared to where he'd been for the past four months. It probably seemed like a snow-day.

After an hour or two of gaining on him, I came across a mini-mart showing signs of forcible entry. I shook my head. Some people were so predictable. I didn't even know the man personally, but from everything I'd seen and heard, this seemed to fit the bill. I walked up and looked in the window. Sure enough, there was Winchester, loading money from the cash register into his bag of stolen goods. I sighed and took a few steps toward him. Honestly, I should have known better, because just then, the TV and radio started acting up. Typical. Well, true to form, he took it as a sign some ghost or demon was around, at least, that's what I thought when he reached for the salt and started pouring it on the ceil of the window I was looking through.

"There's no need for that, Dean. We're on the same side of this thing," I said.

He covered his ears and scurried around for a moment, before dropping to the floor. It was as if my voice was painful to him. Granted, that's what I expected to happen with most humans when I spoke, but not this one. "Dean? Dean Winchester?" I called out to him, but it made no difference. I have to say, I was oddly disappointed by the whole mess. Did he even see me looking at him? I thought this was supposed to be one of those 'special' people, and here he was, acting just like everyone else. Well, it was a good thing that I'd hidden myself from general view. If he couldn't see me like this, chances were he'd suffer the same side effects as everyone else if I was visible.

So instead of having our much-needed little discussion, I stood back and watched him as he walked into the telephone booth and started calling his relations. It was hard to keep from saying anything, as he got one number, no doubt Sam's, as being disconnected, and as Bobby hung up on him. Did he really think he could call them and they'd all take him at his word? What he'd been given only comes around once in a blue moon. We generally like to do our saving on this side of the grave.

As he moved to hot-wire the car, I decided it was time to leave. I needed to have some questions answered, and they weren't going to be answered by anyone down here. Still, I hated leaving him. Things might have been peaceful just then, but it wouldn't take any time at all for the enemy to get on his trail again. If only the poor fool would learn to ask for help. Then I'd have some idea of what was going on with him. In the meantime, I had to rely on information from others and word from higher up every time I left.

I blinked, and when I opened my eyes again, I was in the military headquarters. There was a lot of hustling and bustling right now. Angels aren't all that far from humans when it comes to getting geared up for war. There's just a lot less in the way of logistics. Walking down a marble corridor, I didn't have to look at each door to know where the right one was. My feet found it automatically.

I gave a knock dutifully, but didn't wait any time to walk on through. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that I'd have permission.

"Yes, Castiel?" Michael asked, looking up from his desk. "How are things going? I heard about Portien. Sorry. But still, word says that Dean's back with the living."

"He's living alright, but by the looks of it, he's not having all that much fun."

"Does he remember you?"

"He can't even see me."

"What?"

"Like I said, the man looked right through me while dumping salt under a window a moment ago. When I told him not to worry, he collapsed. He's just like every other man."

Michael frowned at that. "Just like everyone else, huh? Well, that's a bit unexpected."

"Tell me about it. Does that mean he's not the one He wanted?"

"No, he's the one He wanted, alright." Michael frowned and propped his head on his hand as he thought about it. "Just one more problem, huh?"

"Yes, Sir," I replied, it didn't have any of the starch it had when younger soldiers used it though.

"Well, you looked at everything we have on him, right?"

"Every page."

"Well... has he had any training? How much has he dealt with us?"

"No training whatsoever, and Sam's the one who asks for our help. Dean isn't exactly what you'd call a believer, if I have his story down right."

"That would explain it then."

"I guess so. That still doesn't help me though."

"Try talking to him again. If that doesn't work, we'll figure something out."

"Yes, Sir."

With that, I turned and left the room. Even as I walked down the hallway, the building around me faded and I found myself back on the battle ground. Predictably, Dean wasn't where I'd left him. He was a hard one to keep tabs on, that was for sure, and oh, lucky day, I'd gotten stuck with him. It was probably a good thing Michael didn't know how much I enjoyed the assignment, he'd disapprove to say the least.


	4. Idiots

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Ok, here we've got Castiel asking some questions and having a rather odd encounter.

* * *

Well, time to try to track him down. First step is first, I needed to find someone who'd been down here for a while and knew what was going on. Tapping my fingers on the corner of the mini-mart, I ran through my mental list of who was stationed in this area. It seemed like Mulegns would probably be my best option. He had an uncanny ability to know what was happening in any of twenty places at any given time. He always had an ear out for interesting news, and anything either of the Winchesters did would most certainly be classified as 'interesting'.

If the information I'd gathered earlier was worth anything at all, I'd find him about fifty miles up the road, in some little town. They'd been asking for a hand anyway, so when the war started, he'd headed out that way and used it as a base of operations. For a normal person, that would have been about an hour away. For Dean Winchester, it would be about forty minutes. For me... no time at all. Sometimes I really appreciated not having to walk or drive everywhere.

They had a pretty little cathedral. Call me a traditionalist, but there's something undeniably pleasant about stone, oak, and a touch of stained glass. I walked into it and found the person I was looking for sitting in the front pew.

"Mulegns, I could use some information," I said, coming up and sitting next to him.

Giving me a vaguely lopsided grin, Mulegns stuck out a hand. "Castiel! Been too long."

I shook the offered hand and nodded. "Definitely."

"Last I checked, you were still on leave."

"Yeah, I hear you guys have been fighting a full-on war for a little over a year now."

"Less than that, actually, our side just escalated recently. Past couple days really."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"What?"

"Nothing. Anyway, I need a hand."

"So I hear."

"I'm looking for Dean Winchester. Have you heard anything on him?"

"Other than the fact that he's topside? Not much."

"I need to know where he is."

"Why? Did you get assigned to him?" He looked at me with a searching expression, then that grin came back. "You did, didn't you? Heck, I bet it was you that pulled him out."

"Me and Portien."

"Portien? How's that kid doing?"

"Dead."

That sobered him up pretty quickly. "Dead, huh? That's a shame. He was a darn good soldier."

"Yeah."

"Did you hear about Largario, Mauraz, and Cauco?"

"No. What happened?"

"They were heading out, trying to keep some hunters safe, and they stumbled into a real hot pit."

I frowned. "Somehow I didn't see them going that way."

"They didn't. It seems that there's something bigger going from place to place and taking care of anyone who stretches their neck out too far."

"Wonderful. So we've got one of the big ones after us?"

"Better believe it. You take care, ok? Right now there isn't a bigger prize than the one that you're guarding. I'll bet you anything you're going to end up toe-to-toe with him at some point."

"I hope you're wrong about that."

"I do too... though my money says you'd win." He gave a wink.

"When did you start gambling?"

"It's an expression."

"You've been down here too long."

"And you are altogether too literal."

I shrugged.

"So... you're trying to find the Winchester boys, right?"

"Right."

"Well, they're hard to pin down right now. Their daddy trained them right when it came to covering their tracks, but we hear from Samuel every now and then, poor kid. Sometimes I wonder how they ended up with that boy and we got Dean..."

"Nothing's set in stone yet. So as you were saying...?"

"Well, word on the street is that they're looking for you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Seems that the Winchester boys aren't quite sure what to make out of this development. All they know is that something big happened. Something about the grave site looking like a bomb went off. I suppose you had a hand in that."

"Maybe."

"Well, I'd say that you're best off just sticking around here and waiting for them. Those boys are smart. They'll track you down before too long. Anyway, you look pretty beat."

"No time. They're sure to find some sort of trouble if I leave them alone for too long."

"Castiel, they tracked down Azazel and put a bullet from the colt between his eyes. Azazel wasn't too keen on sitting around and making sure they got a clear shot. If you wait for them, they'll find you. They'll find you right quick.

I'd stood up and started to walk away, but as he finished I turned and sighed. "Well, do you have some place I can hole up for now?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact. There's a meeting room downstairs with a few couches. Maybe you can nab a couple hours."

Like I could get to sleep now? No. I'd be worrying about the Winchesters too much. Walking to the backside of the pew, knowing that there would be a couple books shoved in little pockets. Sure enough, I pulled out the New King James and a Hymnal. Unfortunately, I'd read both more times than I could count.

"Got any reading material while I'm here?" I asked.

"Sure," he said, pulling out a paperback that he'd hidden under the cushion and handing it to me. It was Milton's Paradise Lost. I'd read that one too... but that was back in 1667. It was safe to say my memory was a little foggy on the matter.

"Thanks." I took it from him and headed downstairs. It didn't take me long to find the room that he'd mentioned. I sat down on one of the nicer looking couches and, leaning back, started flipping through Paradise Lost. As per usual, Michael and Lucifer got the spotlights, with Gabriel and Raphael close behind and a few other notables on their heels. How come I never made it into any of the stories? Oh well. As I read through the fight scenes, I decided that the book was a good reminder not to rub Arch-Angels the wrong way. Milton wasn't too far off the truth, if memory served, and the Michael portrayed in the book... well, it talks about him taking out whole squadrons with each stroke of his sword.

Still, one of these days I was going to break out of this trend of mine and read something that wasn't a retelling or foretelling of my life. Maybe Les Miserables by Victor Hugo...

I lost myself in the pages and, dispite myself, probably dozed off once or twice. Honestly, Milton's a good writer, but if you're tired, there's no way you can survive more than twenty pages of his verse.

I was still laying there when a slight breeze made page forty-nine flip on it's own. Glancing off to the side, I saw a faint shape standing there, a young woman by the looks of it. She was facing me, but obviously didn't see me, and she flickered from one moment to the next.

I put down the book and sat up facing her. She was a human, a psychic by the look of it. "What do you think you're doing?" I thought, knowing she would be able to pick it up. After all, that was the girl's forte, wasn't it?

"Castiello?" she asked.

I frowned and looked at her. Had she just gotten that from my mind without permission? I didn't much care for that idea. No one wants people snooping around in their thoughts, me not the least of all. "You shouldn't be here, doing this. It's dangerous. Go back."

"No. Sorry, Castiello, I don't scare easy."

"Listen. You're playing with something you don't understand right now, and if you don't stop, you're going to get hurt."

"It's name, It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back."

"Yeah, I'm telling you to turn back. Who are you talking to?" Just then, a thought dawned on me. "Is it the Winchesters? Is this how they were trying to find me? Idiots."

Suddenly I felt her pulling at the layers of my disguise. Pealing them off one by one, trying to see what lay beneath.

"Stop now," I said. "You don't want to-"

"I'm almost there..."

Then the last layer went. Now, if you've seen demons, you know that they are creatures of shadow. Angels, on the other hand, are light... bright light. I knew that she'd seen me, the true me, because she suddenly shrieked, high and piercingly, and then disappeared. I was left staring at an empty space on the carpet.

This assignment just kept getting more interesting.


	5. On the Trail

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Here we've got Castiel doing some good, old-fashioned investigating.

* * *

"I'm leaving," I said before I'd even finished coming up the stairs.

Mulegns stood up and turned to face me. "Where?" he asked.

"To find them. They are looking for me alright. They just sent a psychic. I need to find those two before they get anyone else hurt."

"Castiell, that's good and all, but how are you going to find them?"

"I'll figure it out."

"You can't go running all over the place. The best thing you can do is just let them come to you."

"Mulegns, those two are always running into spirits of one sort or another. Someone knows where to find them. I'll find them before they have a chance to send out another over-eager fool to get hurt."

"They're just doing what they know how."

"And getting people hurt." I dropped Paradise Lost beside him on the pew and started heading out. "I'll see you around."

"You too."

I walked out of the double oak doors and down the few steps only to stop when my feet his the blacktop. Saying that I was searching for the Winchesters was all fine and good, but finding them was another matter. Yes, they seemed to always be getting in one sort of trouble or another, but when they got out of it, and they always did, they could disappear. At least, that's what their record said, and it made sense, otherwise they wouldn't still be alive.

So where to start?

Walking down the street a ways, I came to a little tourist shop. I paused, looking at it, wondering what sort of person would tour this area for the fun of it. Still, I decided to head in. Security alarm, locked doors; none of it mattered. There are certain perks to not being human.

It only took me a moment to find what I was looking for, and then another to get the map spread out and find the sleepy little town I was in. There, I pointed to it. The mini-mart had been just here, at this 't' intersection. Now, considering the time and considering the fact that Dean was probably doing most of the driving, they could be anywhere in this area, I circled a portion of the map. Sure enough, there was a little blue square with a white "H" in the northeastern part of my circle. Bingo.

Putting the map back up, stealing wasn't generally a good idea where I came from, I walked back out and got my bearings. Unfortunately, I couldn't very well just appear there, not knowing exactly where 'there' was. Still, I had a faster method of getting about than walking, and I made good use of it.

You can always tell when you're getting close to a hospital by the feel it gives off. Most humans simply sense the sickness and death that cling to the building, but I always saw it rather differently. If churches were fortresses against darkness, then hospitals were some of the bloodiest battlegrounds. After all, people tend to be a lot more interested in the spiritual realms when they thought they might enter into them.

I walked into the ER's lobby and stood, looking around at the many faces gathered there. People were sporting everything from cuts, colds, and broken arms, to injuries that weren't visible at all. Well, this was just great. How was I supposed to find them in all this mess. Despairing of finding someone useful amongst those waiting in the rickety blue chairs, I walked over to where the nurses were congregating between tasks. Naturally, there was a coffee pot on the table there.

Leaning up in the corner next to them, where I was less likely to have someone walk through me, I began eavesdropping to the best of my ability.

"Did you have a good vacation, Janie?" one asked.

"Yeah, it was amazing. Sun, beaches, and margaritas..." Janie replied with a dreamy grin.

"Oh! Shut up! I'm so jealous. I wish Matthew would take me someplace nice sometime."

"Where do you want to go..."

As the conversation dragged on, I let my eyes close and leaned against the wall a little more heavily. I didn't have time, and these women were talking about vacations. I was trying to keep the world from coming down around their heads. Couldn't they just let slip a bit of useful information?

Just then, another nurse walked in, looking frazzled.

"What is it?" Janie asked.

"You won't believe it."

"What?" the jealous one asked.

"I've got some girl back there. Get this... she gouged out her own eyes. Can you believe that? I thought only that Oedipus guy from college did that."

"Ouch!"

"Is she a psych case?"

"If you ask me, she aught to be. Anyone who would do that to themselves..."

I stood up. Looks like I'd stumbled across some good luck after all. I watched as the frazzled one poured a cup and drained it just as quickly before heading back. Then I fell into step behind her.

Sure enough, she led me into a room where a woman was laying with a bandage around here eyes and a man was standing beside the bed. Walking over to the sleeping girl, I felt some remorse wash over me, but I quickly disposed of it. After all, I'd given her more than fair warning, but she'd persisted. Why was it humans could never listen? It was frustrating to say the least, especially when what you told them was for their own good.

"She's ok, Sam. Well, stable at any rate," I heard from behind me. Turning around, I realized that the big man I'd noticed earlier was talking on the phone. Sam... that was the name of Dean's brother. "Johnny Mac's Diner? Alright. I'll meet ya'll in a few hours. Actually, do you know what motel you're staying at? It would be easier for you to wait for me there. Yeah... ok. I'll see you in a few."

Well, it seemed that my luck had definitely turned for the better. Then I corrected myself. This was full-scale war between Heaven and Hell... luck had nothing to do with anything.


	6. Getting Answers

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Alright, here's a little action for ya'll, so enjoy. Oh, I'm going home for the weekend (YAY!), so provided I'm not an an absolute saint and post something at 0 dark 30 tomorrow, this is the last chappy you'll have until Monday. Sorry, that's just the way the cookie crumbles.

* * *

Johnny Mac's Diner. I glanced over my shoulder at the hot and dusty, dusky town around me. I got the feeling that this was one of the establishments that mainly catered to the locals. It wasn't just because it wasn't a chain store and it didn't have a blaring neon sign. There was just a real homey sort of feel that came off of it.

Reaching forward, I put my hand on the door and started to push it open, but stopped as a feeling swept over me. Evil. I could have laughed. Oh well, I'd have to see if the Winchesters or any other humans were in the area fairly quickly. Something told me that whatever was on the other side of the door wouldn't give me too long to look around the place before they caused me trouble.

I opted against opening the door and just slipped through instead.

Fortunately, it was a small cafe. There were a few patrons scattered around, but no one there struck me as a Winchester. Any doubts I might have had though, disappeared as every face in there turned to look at me with black eyes. Instantly, the temperature of the room seemed to drop. I didn't move, didn't speak; knowing that it would break the spell before I was ready. All around me, the demons tensed and spread out. I knew a defensive position when I saw one.

"What... what are you doing here?" asked a brunette in an apron. "You're not supposed to be here."

"Well I am. I'm Castiell, but I don't suppose you've ever heard of me. Doesn't seem like many have."

"What do you want?" she was backing away now, making a sly grab for one of the butcher knives behind the counter. It wasn't sly enough, and I gave her a pointed look to let her know.

"What do most people want around here these days?"

The crowd around me was very quiet. Not one of them moved, not even blinked.

"Where are the Winchesters?" I explained at last.

"They're gone," she said, stepping forward. She still had that knife in her hand. She did realize that it was worthless, right? "Anyway, Sam's ours. You're too late."

I laughed then. It probably sounded a touch cold, but I really didn't care at the moment. "Who said I wanted Sam?"

The brunette stopped any and all forward movement, and cocked her head to think. Just then one of the others, probably the cashier by the look of him, charged forward and took a swing at me. Fool. I caught it and twisted his wrist until he knelt on the ground. I felt a movement from the front again, and turned just on time to see the brunette's knife arcing down. Bringing my arm up, I caught her by the wrist before grabbing hold of the blade and snapping it in half. The end that she was holding dropped to the ground.

Now was the time. Pausing momentarily, I allowed myself to become fully visible. All at once, the demons, who had looked at me with their own eyes, saw me with the eyes of the mortal forms they had taken. The room filled with shrieking as they covered their eyes and dropped to the ground, but it was too late.

Still, a few of the stronger ones came at me. The cashier came charging in and I shoved him away, feeling the demon shriek and die at my touch. Two more followed and met the same fate. All three of their bodies feel to the ground, hard-used by the demons I'd slain. The last of them, the brunette, started to race toward me, but thought better of it while she was still a pace away and turned to run.

I took one step and threw her down. My touch did not kill her this time, but she shrieked at it and she did not even try to pick herself up off her knees. Instead she sat there and looked up at me, giving me the most venomous glare before spitting blood out of the corner of her mouth.

"You were the one, weren't you?" she asked suddenly. "The one who dragged little Dean Winchester out of the Pit?"

"Perhaps. Where is he?"

"If I tell you, will you promise to let me live?"

"Winchester."

"Promise you'll let me live!"

"Where-"

"I'm not telling you! I'm as good as dead anyway. I might as well go knowing I've spoiled your game."

I sighed. She and I both knew how binding a promise was to an angel who wanted to continue being in the service of my master. I didn't want to give it to her. The thought of letting one of them go when I could end it now... What damage would they do? Who else would they kill? Still, there wasn't much I could do to get around it. She had me cornered, and she knew it.

"Fine. I won't kill you, at least not tonight. Tell me."

"You won't kill me ever."

"Don't press your luck."

She sighed and gave a wide-eyed glance through the store's windows. "They went down that road, walking though. There's a cheap hotel about three blocks down. My money says they're there. Now let me go."

I looked down the road she mentioned, but I couldn't see much in the array of signs that were displayed there. Looking down at her, I gave her a solid kick, throwing her back onto the floor, and then I turned and walked out. Instantly I was hidden to the naked eye once again.

It was getting dark now. Street lights were flickering on, though there weren't very many in this town. As I got closer, the neon signs of various bars, almost always with a few letters burned out, filled the air with buzzing. The boys picked the strangest parts of town to spend time in. Then again, Dean did have a habit or two that kept him frequenting bars.

I almost walked right past the hotel. I would have too, if I hadn't accidentally passed Sam heading back the way I'd come. I stopped and watched him walk away, wondering what he was up to. That wasn't my problem though. Well, it was, but it wasn't my first priority. My first priority was establishing some sort of communication with Dean, and that was turning out to be rather difficult.

Walking up to the ranch-style building, I walked by each room, listening to TVs and radios turning on, taking a peek into each room to see who was there. It was definitely one of the shadier places in town. Honestly, the boys could stand to be a little less frugal where sleeping arrangements were concerned.

Finally peeking into one, I saw a familiar form sitting on the bed. As soon as the electronics started acting up, he rolled out of bed and grabbed his sawed-off, searching for me. The annoying thing was that I was standing right in front of him.

I sighed and shook my head. "Dean, I'm right here. Look at me. Dean. Dean," I growled. Suddenly the glass and mirrors shattered and Dean dropped to the floor. "This isn't going to work."

"Dean!" called another voice. I looked behind me to find the man I'd seen in the hospital charging into the room. "Dean!"

Just great. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my frustration reined in, before storming out. Suddenly, I found myself face to face with Mulegns again.


	7. Vessel

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: First off, I'd like to thank ya'll for all the reviews and the like. You've made this my most sucessful story so far... which makes me happy, I'll admit. So once again, thank you for that. Alright, so here's the next chapter at long last. To be perfectly honest, it isn't my favorite. There's a lot of issues with morality that I tried to clear up, but I'm not quite sure how well that worked. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

"You have impressive timing," I stated. He'd been right behind me when I'd turned around, so now were were inside of each other's space. I stepped forward and to the side, knocking my shoulder into his as I put some distance between us. "Why are you here?"

"I think I might have found a solution to your problem," he replied easily.

"I thought you were going to wait until I came and asked for help." I stopped, but continued looking strait ahead.

"I was sitting in the church. What else did I have to do? It didn't seem like things would work out for you, so I decided to give you a hand."

"Thanks."

"What happened here anyway?"

"What? He couldn't understand me." I finally gave up and acknowledged him by turning to face him.

"I mean the diner. There's a whole restaurant full of people who've had their eyes burned out of their heads."

"I told you I needed to hurry. Apparently they stopped to have lunch in demon hotspot. I'm still not sure how they made it out of there alive."

Mulegns whistled. "Lucky boys, that's for sure."

"And they're the ones running the mortal end of things?"

"Hey, if you have a problem with them, you've got to talk to someone with a much higher pay-grade than me."

"No, they will learn. He said so."

"I'm glad to hear that. Well, do you want to hear my idea or what?"

I looked at him for a good long time, wondering what was going through his mind. Did I really want to know? "Sure."

"Ok, c'mon," he said and began walking. I had the feeling that we weren't walking just down the road, so I focused on following him closely. Sure enough, the world around us started to shift and change, and before long I found that I recognized the hospital waiting room we were in.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, glueing my feet to the floor.

As usual for Mulegns, he didn't take to my stubborn insistence on answers. Instead of saying anything, he just sighed and grabbed me by the arm, hauling me down a hallway and through some twists and turns. Pulling me through a doorway, he stopped and shoved me in front of him. I glared back at him and slowly straightened myself. Then I looked at what was in front of me.

There was a middle aged man lying in a bed. Tubes and wires were connected to him and all around him monitors hummed with amazing consistency. He looked healthy enough, save for the pallor of his face. With dark hair and nearly olive skin, he actually might have been considered handsome in certain mortal circles.

Looking back at Mulegns, I asked, "What is this?"

"This, is how you're going to talk to Dean."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"If they can do it, we can too."

Suddenly I understood what he was saying. "No."

I started to walk out of the room, but he stopped me. "Why not?"

"Do you realize what you're suggesting? Being like them? No."

"Castiel! I know that you don't like this b-"

"Don't like this? Do you understand how much trouble I could get in? Never mind moral qualms."

"Others are doing it."

"Like us or fallen angels?"

"Castiel, it's a gray area, I know. I don't much like it either, but listen. He's been in a comma for five years now, and he's been living it up in Heaven for the better portion of that. He isn't coming back. The thing is, the hospital won't unplug him. Not to mention that he's a devout man, he's always prayed to be of as much use as possible. You'd be doing him a favor."

"I'm not doing it."

Still, he managed to catch me again before I could slip out of the door. Barring the way with his arm, he took a breath. "Castiel," he tried one last time. "This is the end of the world we're talking about. Do you understand me? The end of the world. Think of what will happen if you can't talk to Dean. Can you really afford to take that chance?"

I stopped and looked at him. "I hate you," I said, then I turned to face the comatose man again and sighed.

"How do I do this?"

Mulegns shrugged.

"Some help. Fine."

I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, I was staring at the ceiling


	8. Fashionably Late

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Alrighty, here's an extra-long chapter for your enjoyment. I just couldn't see it as fair to you to break this up, especially when you already know part of it. Anyway, have fun.

I sat up and pulled the wires and needles out of the man's skin. My skin. I fought down a sense of revulsion that threatened to creep into my face and schooled myself to my typical impassive expression. "Mulegns," I said without looking at him. "Get out of here. I don't want to see you again." Then I looked toward the doorway.

No one was there.

I sighed and slipped my feet over the edge of the bed. Where did I go from here? Picking at the blue and white hospital gown, I realized that clothes would be a good idea. However, stealing wasn't on my to do list. I looked at the name tag and realized that there was an address written in a small print beneath it. Perfect, they would even fit.

I closed my eyes experimentally and opened them again. I was in the lobby. Suddenly a number of eyes were fixed on me. I recognized their stunned fascination just before one person began to mutter, "What the-". It was time to get out of here. As swiftly as I could, I walked out of the door and into the street. I still had the gifts I'd always had, but being visible as I was, it probably wasn't a good idea to appear in the middle of public like that anymore. It might cause some people some issues. Even as it was, I was getting some odd looks for walking around in a hospital gown.

Stopping a pair of teenagers walking down the sidewalk, I asked, "Do you know where I can find... 116 Rogers Drive?"

"Uh..." the girl looked at me with wide eyes. "It's just down that way. Take a right when you pass Safeway. A-are you sure you don't need help getting back to the hospital?"

"Thanks," I said and walked past them, fixing the red Safeway sign in my sights.

In all honesty, it was too late for decent people to be out walking around. Teenagers typically ignored rules like that, so no one payed them much attention, but I only got more strange looks as I kept walking. I simply didn't return them, keeping my eyes straight ahead. Soon I reached the turn on the far side of Safeway and started walking up the slight hill behind it.

There was a housing development there; large gray houses with manicured gardens, placed so that none of them had a back yard worth speaking of. I found the right one and walked walked in after forcing the door open. Instinct took me up the staircase and to the left, where I found a large four-poster bed and a chest of drawers. I moved right to the closet and opened it up. On one side were dresses, skirts, and nicer blouses, on the other were suits, ties, jackets and the like. I felt a twinge, but promptly ignored it.

Ever the professional, I grabbed a nice pair of slacks and a collard shirt for starters. Luck was with me, and I even managed to find a decent looking tie to go with the rest. Finally, a long, tan coat completed the ensemble. Looking in the mirror, I straightened my tie and nodded. It was sufficient.

I walked back out the front door of the house and looked around. It was probably technically morning by now, but it was still several hours from daylight. I needed to find the Winchesters, but unfortunately, I had lost their trail. Where to even begin? Frowning, I tried to put myself in their position. Unfortunately, all I knew was that they'd been staying in that hole-in-the-wall motel. It wasn't much, but it was a starting place. Hopefully I would run into someone who had some information on them.

Suddenly I was in the room, surrounded by shattered glass. There was no one there. I walked out the normal way, shutting the door behind me as I went and stood in the street looking around. There was no sign of anyone. I couldn't even sense a spirit in the area.

Then I felt something. It wasn't strong, more like the pull of the wind on a blustery day, but I still felt it. Instantly, I cursed. They were trying to summon me. Idiots! Still, it gave me a line to follow. Pulling my coat closer around me, I began walking in the direction of the pull I felt. Minutes ticked by as I found myself walking down a dirt road out of town. I started to wonder if they'd given up on me yet. After all, their cheap tricks usually had instant results. They would have every reason to believe that, because I hadn't appeared in their little, magic circle, I wasn't coming at all. I found myself quietly muttering a few prayers that for once, just this once, they would stay put.

Ten minutes later I was still walking on that road, but I felt the nearness of the place I was drawn to. About thirty yards off, I could see some sort of outbuilding made of corrugated steel. That had to be it. It was about time.

Shoving my hands into my pockets, I felt the wind pick up until it was a squall. It was one of the more visible gifts I'd been given. I walked around so that I was facing the large double doors, then started my approach. I could hear explosions and see lights flicker and go out through the cracks. When I got to the doors, I felt the wind surge forward, throwing them open as if I'd kicked them. Inside, I found Dean Winchester and that other man cowering with guns in their hands. I couldn't deny a certain amount of satisfaction.

I walked straight in. Now was not the time for courtesy. I'd tried that already, twice. Now it was time to make an impression. I stared straight ahead and walked through all the petty symbols they'd painted.

Now they were standing again, guns leveled; watching me, aiming at me. It was good to see that they weren't cowards as well as fools, but in the end, it didn't matter much. I heard the reports of their firearms and felt the impact, but if the weapons of the demons could only scratch me, these could do nothing. So I pressed forward silently. Let them think what they would.

They did. I watched while Dean picked up a knife in a subtle movement. It was the same trick that the brunette at the diner had tried earlier. Needless to say, I was less than worried.

"Who are you?" Dean asked.

Finally. After all this time, Dean had actually spoken to me. I wasn't quite sure if I should be excited by that or just more annoyed. After all: this? This is what it took to get the man's attention? His inability to see what was right in front of him amazed me.

'I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition," I said. It took some effort, but my tone was calm and quiet, as usual.

"Yeah? Thanks for that." Then he stuck the knife in me.

I glanced down at the knife and took a deep breath. It was my job to look after him, no matter what a fool he made of himself. It wouldn't make my master very happy if I put an end to him just now. I pulled the knife out and let it drop to the ground, looking at him pointedly. None of his usual stunts were going to work. He needed to understand that and the sooner he learned it the better.

Feeling a whisper of air behind me, I turned and caught the crowbar the other held and forced him around until I was looking right at him. Reaching forward, I touched him, and whispered a few words to my master. Then the man dropped; asleep, not dead. I wasn't in the business of killing innocent fools. Not yet anyway, but now with him out of the way, I might actually be able to proceed with things.

"We need to talk, Dean," I said, coming back around to face him. "Alone."

Not surprisingly, Winchester continued to ignore me. Dropping down, he went to check on his companion. Honestly, I couldn't blame him for that. Yes, it annoyed me. It was one more thing getting in the way of my doing my job. Still, in his position, I suppose I might have done the same. Perhaps. I would give him a few minutes, but nothing more.

"Your friend's alive," I noted, thinking that it might help speed things up.

"Who are you?"

"Castiello."

"Yeah, I figured that much. I mean what are you?"

Now we were coming to it. "An angel of the Lord."

He looked at me for a moment, before getting back to his feet and telling me to go. "There's no such thing," he added.

I could have laughed at that. "This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith." Otherwise we might have been having this discussion some time ago. This was obviously a man who needed to see in order to believe. It was a shame, really. Still, time was not something I had. I had to cater to his needs. I couldn't reveal myself, not fully, not now. He had proved to me that he was just like everyone else, and I couldn't very well afford to burn his eyes out, could I? So I reached within myself and allowed my wings to appear. Lightning flickered as power flowed, but then I let it fade again, and everything was back to normal.

"Some angel you are," he said at last. "you burned out that poor woman's eyes."

"I warned her not to spy on my true form. It can be... overwhelming to humans. So can my real voice... you already knew that."

"You mean the gas station and the motel? That was you talking?"

I nodded.

"Buddy, next time lower the volume."

"That was my mistake." I'm not sure how much I believed that. After all, he could have helped me substantially if he'd so much as considered talking with my side from time to time. Still, that wasn't what he needed to hear right now. "Certain people, special people, can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong."

"And what visage are you in now, huh? What, holy tax accountant?"

"This? This is... a vessel."

He spoke again, and the word "possessing" rang in my ears. It was the only part that I really heard. The only part that mattered. It stung. Was that really what I was doing? To hear it said that way...

"He's a... devout man. He actually prayed for this."

"Look, Pal, I'm not buying what you're selling, so who are you really?"

"I told you."

"Right. And why would an angel rescue me from Hell?"

"Good things do happen, Dean."

"Not in my experience."

"What's the matter?" I asked. Then it hit me. "You don't think you deserve to be saved."

"Why'd you do it?"

"Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you."

He stood there, looking at me, not saying a thing, and I realized that this had probably been somewhat of a shock for him. It seemed odd too me, as I thought about it, after all, I'd known about this for a long time now. Now, in a place where I could finally complete the first stage of my mission, I found myself holding back. He didn't even believe in angels, and here I was, an angel, getting ready to tell him that the apocalypse was starting and he was the other side to his brother's coin? That would go over well. Perhaps it would be better if I let this first part sink in for a while.

"Think about it," I added, deciding on my course of action. "I'll be back."

Then I was gone.


	9. Wasting Time

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Ok, here's the next portion of our programming. I just wanted to thank the readers here. With 45 reviews, I'm a happy duck. More than that though, many of you have been giving me advice or corrections, for which I'm very thankful. I do intend on going back and fixing the problems you've noticed once this story is complete. Anyway, here's to ya'll!

PS. This chapter bugs me to a certain extent. Not sure I got it right, but oh well.

* * *

I was standing back outside Safeway now. I'd thought about going back to the church, but Mulegns would be there, and I had no intention of running into him again, not this decade anyway. Normally I would have just gone back through the pearly gates, but seeing as I had a 'vessel' now, that wasn't much of an option. No one, barring Elijah and a couple others, was allowed to go up there while still in a mortal form. I couldn't exactly leave this man on the sidewalk in his current state, so I was stuck down here for now.

Of course, that left me wondering where I should go. I would need to stay away from Dean Winchester for at least a few hours, and I had nothing to do. It was frustrating to say the least. After all, I'd just spent the past day doing everything within my power to have my little talk with a living Dean. Now I had to walk away until he was ready to hear the rest? I found that I was pacing and brought an end to it as I slowed my breathing. I didn't have time. Things were moving faster than I cared to think about, and here I was, needing to find some means of wasting it? Ironic to say the least.

Well, this sleepy little town had just become a battleground, with the coming of the Winchesters. It seemed safe to say that if I walked around for a while, I'd be sure to find one of my own kind. It had been an awfully long time since I just sat down and talked with someone, so I decided on it. Looking around, I picked a direction and started walking.

I found myself on the steps of the church about thirty minutes later. I hadn't the least idea of where to go, and this was the only sure-fire way to find one of my people. Still, I couldn't bring myself to walk through those oak doors. So I turned my back to them and sat down on the steps. By all appearances, it was going to be a boring few hours.

Just then, I saw someone heading my way. He was a middle eastern looking man, probably in his early twenties. It seemed strange for him to be out and about at this hour. It wasn't even dawn yet. He turned and began heading toward the stairs, but as he started getting closer, I got a feeling.

Squinting, I looked up at him. Almost at the same moment he looked down at me. "Castiel?" he suddenly asked. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I'm sorry, have we met?" I asked dubiously, wondering what was going on here.

"No, and no need to go into introductions now. I'm undercover anyway. It should suffice to say that we're on the same side of things. Listen, I'm on a pretty important mission at the moment. I was talking to Mulegns and he said you might help."

"Mulegns isn't my best friend at the moment." I studied him from head to toe. "So he's got you doing it too."

"What? This?" He sighed. "Yeah, it isn't something that I'm proud of, but it's the way things have to be for now. You understand, right?"

I didn't say anything.

"Well, a lot of folks are having to do it. Anyway, I got a favor to ask of you."

"What would that be?"

"Remember Lillith?"

"Lillith... I take it we're referring to our dear friend, Lillith?"

"That's not exactly what I'd call her, but..."

"I remember."

"Well, she's out and about again. Actually, she's been out for a good long time. She's the one that sent your boy to the Pit."

"I already knew that."

"Yeah, well... she's gotten her hands in something even stickier this time."

I gave him a blank look, waiting for him to get to the point.

"She's trying to crack the Seals."

"What?"

"You heard me. She's already digging into the first one, and if we don't stop her, all Hell's going to break loose."

"No pun intended. I assume someone's working on stopping her?"

"Yeah. Me. Well... me and a few others. She's got quite the escort at the moment. I think something shook her up pretty badly. Not quite sure what though."

"It might have something do do with a host of angels breathing down her throat."

"Yeah, that might do it. Anyway, it's looking like there's going to be a pretty good fight coming up. Seeing as your stuck down here anyway, I was wondering if you'd mind helping out. Mulegns said you'd have some time on your hands."

"Mulegns is an idiot. I'm watching after the Winchesters, if you haven't noticed, and that's a pretty time-consuming task."

"Glad to hear you think so highly of him. Well, listen. Me and some of the boys are heading out pretty quick. There's not much time, and we're heading out as soon as we get the last few things ready. I understand that watching those boys is probably quite a task, but you are sitting here right now, as opposed to lurking over them. If you've got a moment, then I'd like to see you come. We could use someone like you."

"How long to you think this will take?"

"Not more than a couple hours at most. They've survived this long without you... a couple hours won't hurt anything."

I frowned and sat silently for a long moment, considering my options. Finally, I stood up. "Let's go."


	10. Limited Resources

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Here's the next bit. Once again, I'd like to thank ya'll for all the lovely reviews. Over 50? I can't believe how supportive you guys are being. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Honestly, I'm not really sure where I'm going from here... so this should be interesting for you and me :P

* * *

"Keep close," was all he said, then he began walking down the sidewalk.

I didn't need to be told twice. I kept as close as my dignity would allow. Sure enough, the landscape started to warp and change. The houses melted away and before long I found myself walking through a large building with corridors. Looking around, I couldn't help but think that it looked an awful lot like an office building. Then I noticed multi-colored handprints taped to the wall.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Limon, Colorado. This is the First Baptist church... it's a converted community center."

I nodded.

"Why here, right? Well, intelligence reports put Lillith and her friends about five miles from here, in an abandoned factory. We figured it was as good a staging point as any. Most of the churches around here are traditional... and a little too cramped to handle stuff of this sort.

'I'll get you situated with the others real quick here. We've got everything you could want, heading into a battle like this, and we've got some of the best warriors we could scrounge up.

'Oh, and by the way, word on the street is that Michael's given us permission to use you whenever you're not busy with the Winchesters. So it might be a good investment to make sure you know everyone."

"Joint operations? Sounds fun."

"Come on, Castiel," he said, giving me a look out of the corner of his eye. "Lighten up a bit. It's not like you're going to have to worry about us too much. Your job has priority over just about everything out there."

"It would have been nice to get this from Michael."

"Yeah well..." he shrugged. "You know how things are."

I snorted. "So what are we looking at?"

"Huh? The mission? Not much. It's your standard 'burst in and cut 'em down' type thing. Granted Lillith and a couple other big ones will be there, but they shouldn't be too much trouble. After all, we haven't been down here long enough for them to be too ready for us. My best guess is that we'll hit them right in the middle of trying to get that seal open, so they should be pleasantly preoccupied."

"That sounds easy enough."

"It does, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. One problem, I don't care what intelligence says, it's never just an 'old men and boys' sort of operation."

He stopped abruptly and shook his head, and exasperated look on his face. "You really are a ray of sunshine, aren't you?"

"I'm a realist."

He sighed and muttered something just below my hearing before walking forward again. I fell into step behind him without comment. This was nothing new for me, I could tell when someone was frustrated. More than that though, I was completely unrepentant. I had a high enough rank to voice my concerns, and someone had better do it.

His path changed suddenly and he stopped in front of a door. Putting his hand on the wooden panel, he shoved it open. "Welcome to Vessel-Bound HQ," he announced drolly. "Enjoy your stay."

I looked in at the men who were sitting on couches or chairs, working on one thing or another or talking quietly amongst themselves. There were eight of them in there, and I frowned. Considering the sort of mission we were supposed to be heading on, I would have preferred a few more. That was a bit of an understatement.

"Shouldn't there be more?" I asked.

He sighed. "Nope. We're spread pretty thin right now, if you hadn't already guessed. As it was, some of these were pulled out of other companies."

"No one sees the reasoning in devoting some resources to stopping Lillith?"

"It's the Apocalypse, Castiel. Yeah, Lillith is a pretty big problem, but the world's coming apart at the scenes. There's more fights going on now than ever and some of them are pretty important too. Trust me, I wish I could command heaven's armies to come and help us on this run, but we've got some limited resources."

I took a deep breath. He was right. I knew better to make these sorts of demands. Whatever could be done was being done. Guess I'd just been a little shaken up. After all that I'd seen, I wouldn't be happy with a hundred of my brothers in arms fighting alongside me in this one.

Closing my eyes, I looked into the truth beyond appearances. I didn't know most of those in the room, two or three gave me the feeling that I should remember them from somewhere, but it was a hopeless cause. One of them I knew instantly.

"You brought Bister? What is he doing here?" I hissed at the commander.

"He's a good warrior and he wasn't invaluable to his other assignment. Like I s-"

"He shouldn't be here, not after what he's been through."

"Well he is."

"Take him off-"

"Listen! I understand your concern, and trust me, it's appreciated, but quite frankly we don't have that sort of luxury right now."

"What's one le-?"

"Castiel! We can't, and that's the end of it. Trust me, he's not the only one I'd send back if I could," he gave me a pointed look. "I do my research."

Some of the fight went out of me at that.

"Romairon!" called one of the ones sitting in a chair.

"Yeah, Monible?" the commander, Romairon, replied.

"How much longer?"

"I want to be out of here in an hour. Is that looking good for you?"

"Yes, Sir. Well, it would if some folks stopped talking and started working," Monible cast a wry glance over his shoulder at two of the loudest talkers.

"Well, make them then." Then Romairon turned and looked at me. "I'm sorry things aren't going the way you'd like, but if you see anything that needs fixing, feel free. We may not be able to go storming in with a whole army at our backs, but that doesn't mean we can't be ready for some serious fighting. I'll be back." He started to turn and walk away, but then stopped. "Oh," he added in a loud voice. "And feel free to tell Monible where he can put his thoughts and ideas if you want. You've got some rank here." Then he disappeared.

Monible glanced up from the bald he was cleaning with a threatening look in his eyes and I met it. After a while, he shrugged. "Romairon just enjoys tormenting me," he said, and I got the feeling it was an explanation.

I simply raised my eyebrows at the exchange, not willing to get caught up in some old skirmish.


	11. Before the Storm

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay folks. Surplus of schoolwork plus lack of sleep plus cold equals a late posting I'm afraid. Anyway, here's another bridge chapter for ya'll, but things should be getting pretty good again before long. I'm foreseeing two or three more chapters at this point, although that could change I suppose.

* * *

Walking into the room I returned the nods of the few who looked up from their various tasks to acknowledge me. I came to stand in front of Bister and let my shadow fall over him.

"Hello Castiel," Bister said without ever looking up.

It took me off guard, but I recovered quickly. Sitting down beside him, I clasped my hands and leaned forward, looking out beyond the opposite wall. "So... how are things?"

"Well enough, I suppose. I mean, it's the end of the world and all, but..." He shrugged.

"I think I know what you mean."

"I thought you would. Where'd they drag you from?"

"Watching the Winchesters."

"Sounds fun."

"It is."

A long pause followed and dragged on for several moments.

"What were you up to?" I asked finally.

"Fighting... someone for some reason. They don't bother giving me all the details."

I nodded. That's how things generally seemed to work. After all, I was higher up than he was, and this whole little expedition had been shoved on me with no warning and little explanation.

"I don't like how this looks," he added quietly.

"What is it?"

"I get the feeling we're... how does that saying go? Going into a gunfight with a knife?"

"I can agree with you, but it looks like we have all they can afford to give."

"I know."

"'Scuse me, Sir." I turned to see one of the strangers facing me.

"...Yes?" I responded, wondering what all this was about.

"I was wondering if you'd be needing a weapon."

My first instinct was to say no. After all, I'd been through Hell without one. Why should I bring one with me on a mission that would take me into relatively safer territory? Then again, I couldn't get rid of the feeling of inadequacy this time. With so few, every little bit would help. Anyway, this time I didn't have to keep my hands free for hauling people out of the Pit.

I nodded. "What do we have?"

"Anything on the counter there," he gestured to the fake granite countertop that ran along the back wall. "is up for the taking."

I gave a look to Bister, and he let a wane smile slip onto his face, so I stood and walked over to the counter.

Resting my hands on the cool laminate and gazed down at the weapons dispassionately. There were all manner of blades here; knives, daggers, swords, even a few more... exotic sorts. Once again, my traditionalist taste came forward and I put my hand on a simple cruciform, hand-and-a-half hilt. The blade was shy of two inches wide; a lighter and more modern interpretation. It would be good for versatility and maneuverability. If anything got within it's two and a half foot reach, I had other means of defending myself.

Thumbing the blade, I found it was a little on the dull side with a notch about a foot up from the tang. I frowned. "Whetstone?" I asked.

Monible tossed one my way and I caught it in my free hand before returning to my seat and getting to work.

Bister glanced over at me and grinned. "So predictable," he said with a nod toward my weapon of choice. Then he pulled his coat aside to show a brace of knives slipped into shoulder holsters. "I hear some fellow called Samuel Colt managed to make a gun that works just as well. Too bad we can't get any of those."

"Dandy."

"What? No sense in not being up to date."

"The Winchesters have the Colt."

"Really?"

"They shot me with it."

Bister gave a crooked grin. "You always do get on peoples' good sides."

I turned a blank look on him, then returned my attention to sharpening the sword.

Time trickled by and I allowed my work to consume me. In reality, it wasn't horribly important to have a sharp blade. It wasn't the steel that killed them. But it was important for us to see the weapons in good repair and it was a good way to make the time pass. The laughter and discussion became threadbare, then stopped altogether save for the occasional nervous chuckle. We were all veterans there; every one of us. It was not the amount of experience that we had that divided us, rather the sort. I had no difficulty in picking out those who had yet to experience a battle gone badly.

After a small eternity, Romairon walked back through the door. "Let's get it together and head out," he said.

There was a rustle of chairs and limbs as everyone stood up, shoved unneeded supplies out of the way, and moved toward the doorway. I just dropped the whetstone and walked over, getting there just after most of the others. I stood off a little ways and waited.

Romairon looked out over the gathered soldiers before nodding his approval. "Alright, get over there, then we'll take a look at the situation before we barge in. Let's go."

With that, we filed out of the door.


	12. Fifteen Minutes

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Ok, last chapter of waiting. Promise. The next chapter's already in the works and I can assure you that the action is all but here. I have to thank those of you who reviewed, because some of you have pointed out things I need to correct, and others are keeping me on track. Anyway, turn on some classic rock and enjoy!

* * *

It was dusty. There were cobwebs, rusting tools, and rotting fifty pound bags of... something. It was dark and dank with a stagnant smell to it. It didn't take me long to decide that the shack we were hiding in was bad for morale. 

Waiting for word in there was one of the more difficult things I'd done in a long time. If I stood up, turned around, and looked out the window over my head, I'd see the old factory that our enemies were in, and knowing that was fraying my nerves. Looking around, I could see the eye-whites of the others flashing in the darkness. This wasn't good. We couldn't afford to be this nervous going into something like this, and I had to admit that I was being part of the problem.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled my sword out and laid it across my lap, then I bowed my head and quietly asked my master to bless it. Feeling a finger of power brush me, I instantly felt a little more at ease. There was also something about my sword... it seemed to glimmer even though there still wasn't much light to be seen. 

Just then I heard a creek and a rustle. Turning to look at the door, I saw a shape slip in. There was a bit of whispering, then I saw the signal to circle up. Awkwardly keeping low as I came forward, I hushed my breathing and listened closely for the whispers.

"What did you see?" Romarion was asking.

A less experienced soldier, who, I'd learned, was named Almens, nodded. "There's probably twenty-five of them in there-"

"Probably?" Romarion demanded.

"They're moving around and everything's dark. I did my best to count them."

"Just keep going."

"It looks like most of them are grunts though, but I did see Lillith I think. There was a child in there with them anyway."

"That'll be her."

"Anyway, it looks like they're getting ready to start."

"Well then, let's stop them!" Ladir interjected. I'd served alongside him some time back, well, a long time by mortal standards. He'd always been one to rush in. 

"No, they'll be expecting that," I said.

"Noise discipline!" Romarion whispered, glaring around the circle. I had to admit, he was a good commander. The silence was almost tangible. "Now, this isn't a democracy. So you can hold onto your opinions until I ask for them. We'll stop them, our master's counting on us doing that, but we're not going to go barging in when they're waiting for us. If we wait until they've started, then most of the leaders will be involved in the magic too deeply to take part in the rest of the fighting."

"Won't that be cuttin' it a touch close?" That from a relative kid called Degen.

"The spell their going to have to put together is intricate, it'll take them a good twenty to thirty minutes to do it. If we hit hard and fast, then we should be able to break it up on time. Bister, you're with me, along with Ladir, Almens, and Ilanz. We'll take the main group on from the front. Try to keep them distracted. Castiel, you take Monible, Surava, Thusis, and Vals, and hit them from the back. If all goes well, you should have a clean shots at the heads of this snake. They won't keep on with the spell if it means getting a knife in the back. Any questions?"

I looked around, curious to see how would speak after his little democracy speech. I was half-surprised to find my own voice breaking the silence. "How long?" I asked.

Romairon glanced at the rolex on his vessel's arm. "Fifteen minutes."

It still seemed strange to me to actually be running things on time. Schedules were normal, yes, but we didn't exactly bother with clocks and wristwatches very often. 

"Still..." Romairon continued. "Almens, I want you to keep an eye on them, if it looks like their moving too slowly or too quickly, you let me know. Got it?"

"Sir!" Almens whispered with a nod. 

"Anything else?" He looked at our faces, and when nothing was forthcoming he took a breath. "Alright, sit easy for a while, but be ready to move. And for heaven's sake, remember noise discipline!"

Without a word, the cluster disbanded and I went back to my place under the window. Great, I was second in command. I could have done without that. Romairon's covering and flanking maneuver was simple, but it was sound and we didn't exactly have the time to come up with some genius, innovative strategy. Still, I had all the time in the world to come up with possible flaws. On the edge of a fight, fifteen minutes is an eternity. I just had to pray that it would work. 

For a moment, my mind went back to Dean. What sort of trouble had he gotten into now, and make no mistake, he'd be in some sort of trouble by now. Hopefully he's manage to keep himself alive until I could get back. Explaining to my superiors that I'd hauled Dean out of Hell, only to let him get killed the second I looked away. 

"Now!" came a whispered voice out of the darkness. 

I jerked my head toward the sound before I recognized the command. Then I slipped toward the door, making eye contact with my subordinates along the way, and listening to them falling in line behind me. Just as I started to walk out the door, the same voice appeared at my ear. 

"Wait until we've engaged them."

I nodded, though it was probably lost in the darkness. 

From the shadows of the shack, I raced across the clearing, not giving the faint moonlight a chance to betray me before I slipped into the shadow of the factory, just a few paces away from a door. Muffled footsteps and furtive figures let me know that my people were following me. 

I raised an open hand. They paused. I closed it into a fist, and they scattered, settling into the shadows. One. Two. Three. I couldn't keep myself from mentally counting out the seconds. Four. My ears strained for any idea of what was going on inside. Five. Six. I knew I had to time it perfectly. If I went in too early, they would turn to face us and the other team would be in a flanking position. Seven. Eight. Nine. Too late and they would be engaged in the fighting long enough to wonder if it was a diversion. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Was that something? Fourteen. Fifteen. Were they in trouble? Sixteen. Seventeen. Something went wrong. Eighteen. Nin-

There it was!

I gave a glance over my shoulder to the others, then gave the signal. Taking my own advice, I stepped forward, and held my blade in the ready position. I came to the door.

Then I kicked it down.


	13. Confrontation

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Well, here's the chapter that you've all been waiting for. I've got one more (mostly) written, although it's fighting me tooth and nail. At this point, it may be the last chapter, however, that all depends on this week's episode and what they give me to work with. Even barring useful plot holes in this episode, I'm not going to put my foot down on any possibility of a sequel, but we'll see. There's other ideas that I would like to explore when I get the opportunity. Anyway, if you see problems with the numbers in this chapter, don't worry, I have it under control. Enjoy!

* * *

Darkness filled the doorway. Inside we could hear grunts and crashes, accentuated with exclamations. Still, we filed in as swiftly as we could and made our way toward the mayhem. Rounding a bend in the hallway, occasional flashes of light flickered on the walls. We made another tern and then we saw it.

It was a large room, probably where all the manufacturing had taken place once upon a time. What little light there was came from candles, and arcane symbols littered the ground and the walls. The shadow itself seemed to writhe. I could see flashes of true light in the distance, and knew the others were out there, but the only clear shape to be seen was a little girl, sickly pale and glowing more with every moment. I instantly knew she was our target. Lillith.

I didn't give some cliche battle cry. Showmanship had never been my strong suit. Instead I just leveled my blade and closed the distance between me and her. I was all of five feet away from her, when my path was blocked. It was an older man, but not at all frail in appearance, and his eyes were clouded. I stopped short. They weren't black.

That moment cost me. I dropped back as I felt a knife skim across my arm. It burned. It... hurt. I dodged further out of the way and looked around, everyone was fighting at this point.

I dodged a wild swing from an attacker, a pretty little blonde woman. This one had the pitted eyes. I wove the other way then and reached into the opening she gave me. I didn't skewer her though. Instead I reached forward and touched her on the head, turning my thoughts to a place as light as this was dark. She screamed and dropped to the ground, black smoke spouting from her lips, but the woman was still alive. One less thing on my conscience.

Instantly I had another assailant on my hands. I used my blade to keep them away, though with only mixed success. Fortunately, most of them had the standard weapons. I used the gift that had been given to me as often as possible, sparing what I could. But the pace seemed to quicken every second and the sea only seemed to grow. Something had gone wrong. Simply surviving began to take precedence over moral scruples. In the background I could hear Lillith's voice, strangely loud, uttering words that sent ice through my veins.

Looking around, I saw that Vals was hard pressed. Glancing back at Lillith, I weighed my choices. As much as I would like to say that I was the perfect, battle-hardened warrior who always put the mission first, I can't. I came up behind Vals' assailant and cut him down. Vals nodded his appreciation. "Go," he said.

I returned the nod.

Suddenly I saw something on the edge of my vision and turned to look. Monible. The demon with the strange blade was standing in front of him, blade buried to the hilt. Monible's eyes were wide. Too wide. The vessel he wore couldn't even begin to mimic the expression of the angel inside. Suddenly there was a burst of white light and then it was gone, leaving us blind in the dark.

I closed my eyes, willing the image away. Then it was back to the fight as I felt the pinprick from a blade that had gotten too close. I held them back to the best of my ability, but somehow I'd ended up just keeping the status quo.

His eyes were so wide.

"Stop her!" came Romairon's order echoing over the den. It somehow broke into my mind, punctuated as it was with another brilliant flash of light. I could hear Lillith's voice crescendoing. Time was running out.

Freeing myself of those around me, I forced my way forward. I could almost see the cracks forming in the seal, her fingernails digging into them, widening them.

Just a few feet away now.

Suddenly I felt an iron band around my arm, and I was spun around. I got a brief look at the strange demon before I suddenly found myself studying the ground, my cheek aching. Getting right back to my feet, I was on time to watch him flip his knife over, so that the blade was facing me. I changed my grip on my own blade, allowing it's weight to comfort me. It was a false comfort though, there was only so much that blades were capable of in this situation.

Lillith's voice changed octave again. No time.

I lunged forward, scoring a deep wound on his shoulder. Lightning flickered and he staggered back, but he stayed on his feet. I pressed forward again, each second ticking, echoing in my mind. Admittedly, it was a sloppy advance, leaving me wide open. Not surprisingly, he took advantage of that, stabbing forward with his knife. It was a move that should have killed me. But the strangest thing happened. My sword slipped out of my hands. I'm a good soldier. I don't make mistakes like that. I jumped forward, trying desperately to get it back into my hands, and because of that my leg took the brunt of his assault rather than my stomach.

The others say that I cried out then. I don't really know. Things like that just don't stick in your memory all that well. What I do know was that the second I put both feet back down on the ground, one crumpled beneath me.

Now I was looking at the old, corrugated steel of the roof. I knew that I needed to get up, but pulling my free hand off my leg so that I could was one of the more difficult things I'd done. I did get back to my feet though, and not a second too soon as the strange demon moved to finish me off.

Apparently I'd gotten up faster than he had predicted.

I took the opportunity, cutting into his side even as he dodged away. He started to come back at me, but I was already moving. Toward Lillith.

This time I grabbed her with my left hand. Then I moved to run her through.

She just turned and looked at me, that small, malicious smile on her face, and she whispered one word. For a moment the silence was defining. Then the ground started to shake. I should have run her through then, I know. So much could have been solved or prevented. One of our biggest foes would be gone. How much would that have done for our cause?

My leg ruined all that.

As the ground began to shake it buckled, though I put every ounce of my will against it. The little girl's mouth opened and smoke billowed out, racing off into some hole in the roof. Then the child's body collapsed lifelessly onto the ground beside me. I cursed then, but to say that is an understatement.

I was back on my feet in a moment, but it was a moment too late. I saw my comrades running off into the shadows, no doubt pursuing any foes who still lingered. It didn't take long for them to return though, all with dark expressions on their faces.

"Status?" Romairon asked, coming to stand in the middle of the room, which became lighter quite suddenly as Vals opened a few of the blinds over the windows.

"Mission failed," I said.

He looked at me and frowned, but said nothing.

"Sir?" came a strained voice. I looked over to see Bister being supported by Almens. "Permission to leave?"

"Granted," Romairon replied.

Bister gave a wane smile, then sighed. He was gone. Not dead though, and that was a comfort to my mind. I'd served in some tight spots with him in the past, and if I had to pick anyone to have my back, it was him. But right now it was time for him to get the rest he deserved.

I walked over to his vessel as quickly as I could with painfully even steps, and brushed my fingers across the man's jugular. Sure enough, there was a faint pulse. I laid a hand on me and whispered a few words, pleading with my master to use the gift he'd given me. Sure enough, the man's wounds closed.

"Almens, get him out of here. He doesn't need to wake up to this," Romairon ordered and Almens obeyed with hardly a blink. Then the commander turned to look at the rest of us.

"Report."

"Monible's dead," I said, knowing that my words no doubt hurt him deeply. It seemed that the first and second of this team had been close.

Romairon didn't let his expression drop.

"So's Ilanz," Thusis added.

"That's just not right," Ladir muttered, voicing what most of us were probably thinking.

"Ladir," I said. "It's our job."

"Why can't people just fight for themselves? Why do we have to put-"

"That's enough!" Romairon cut in, giving Ladir a deadly look. "You're walking a fine line and I don't want to hear anymore about it. Understood?"

"Sir."

"Good. Any serious injuries I should know about?"

We all shook our heads, though I could see the pain in some of their eyes. No one was willing to admit it if they didn't absolutely have to.

"That's good to hear," he said, but there was no doubt in my mind he knew the truth of the matter as well as the rest of us. "Well, anyone want to piece together what exactly just happened? After all, I'm going to have to answer for this."

Thusis shrugged. "Attacked demons, more than we thought, got held back, Lillith finished, they retreated."

"Fast retreat too," Vals murmured.

"They weren't all grunts either," I interjected. "The one that killed Monible was someone with rank. And the weapon he had... it wasn't the sort of thing you would expect from demon rabble."

"Do you know who he was?" Romairon asked.

"No... but I think I've seen him before." I strained my memory for a moment, but came up blank. "I can't place him right now."

"Well, let's get out of here then. We've got other fights to get to, and, in your case, a couple of boys."

With that, we left the factory. It was obvious just looking at us that things hadn't gone our way. Dropping my hands by my sides, I gently touched my leg and muttered some quiet words. I got some satisfaction from seeing that wound close up as well, but the power went no further than the vessel. I could deal with the pain though. Still, it would have been nice to leave the mortal world for a while, just to speed the healing, but time was too important for me to waste it like that.

We made it back into our original meeting room and allowed ourselves to get comfortable on the chairs and couches as we mulled over everything that went wrong.


	14. We've Arrived

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: Sooo sorry for the delay. I had a tough time getting school and Dean both to cooperate with me long enough to put on the finishing touches. I'm hoping that this'll prove to be worth the wait. Also... WOW guys. Over 100 reviews!!! Ya'll are amazing! Thanks so much for your support, opinions, and corrections! I do intend to go back and fix the mistakes you've pointed out when I get the chance.

Well. This is the end of the road. The original ending of this story. Then again.... maybe not.... check out the 2nd AN at the bottom of the chapter to get the details.

* * *

"...Castiel?"

I opened my eyes. Why had they been closed. It wasn't sleep. I don't sleep.

"Over there." Romairon's voice.

Pulling myself into a seated position, I turned to look over my shoulder and who should I see but Mulegns walking toward me.

"Good evenin' to ya," he said with a tip of his head.

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you," I said.

"Now, you know you didn't mean that, you were just a touch shaken up about the whole thing." He grinned at me.

I stared at him.

His expression fell and he cleared his throat before continuing. "Well, anyway, I've been keeping my ears open where your boys are concerned."

"Yeah."

"Well, I don't know if you've heard, but the first seal was broken."

"Don't mock me."

"Ah, well. Seems the witnesses went after hunters. Body count's up to twenty from what I hear."

I sat up a little straighter at that. "Are they alive?"

"Yeah, barely. Heck, they were the ones that put them back to rest. You sure have some interesting boys on your hands."

It took a good deal of effort to keep from sighing. "I guess you could call them that."

"At any rate, I don't know how well they made it out of the whole mess. For all I know, your boys could be bedridden now. I just thought you might like to know. They could probably stand to have a little angelic check-up."

"And you couldn't do it?"

"Hey, it ain't my job. Anyway, don't have the body for it." He smirked and winked at that. He did have a bit of a point though, seeing as he just talked others into getting vessels and didn't see fit to get one of his own.

"You have been down here too long."

"Listen, do whatever you want. I just thought you might like to know."

He started to walk away.

"Mulegns. ...keep me informed, alright?"

He gave an extra knowing smile. "Will do." Then he was gone.

I watched him walk away before grudgingly getting to my feet and walking over to Romairon. "I better go," I said.

"See you around," he replied.

I began to walk away, but my feet stopped and I turned back to face him. "I'm sorry." I braced myself for the standard 'you did your best' or 'don't blame yourself' that most would give. Even Bister, who had known me longer than anyone, would have said something like that. Not Romairon though. We were made from the same mold.

He just looked at me for a moment, then offered his hand.

I shook it and walked out the door.

The next second I was in the basement of Mulegns' favorite church. One woman glanced up from ordering some papers and jumped when she saw me. I needed to be more careful about appearing and disappearing, it seemed.

I walked around, peering around corners and checking random alcoves for the angel I knew I would find around there. Finally, I walked into the church's office and found him sitting at the desk looking self-important. He looked up when I walked in and his lips got thinner.

"I thought you didn't want to see me anymore," he stated dryly.

"You know where the Winchesters are," I said by way of explanation.

"Yeah."

"Tell me where."

"You haven't been buckets of fun about this whole thing. Still, I don't hold grudges."

If he was expecting thanks, he was disappointed.

"You remember that man they've been spending a lot of time with?"

"Bobby Singer, friend of their father?"

"That's the one. They're at his place."

"Where?"

I stared at me for a long moment before finally reaching over and grabbing a set of Post-its and a pin. It struck me as an odd sight. He scribbled something down on one and handed it to me. "There. Directions. Anything else?"

I turned and left the room, scanning over the directions. Once again, I was glad that driving was not necessary for me. Instantly, I found myself on the front porch of a house surrounded by a junk yard. It was charming. Stepping closer, I peered in through the window and materialized in the kitchen.

It was perfect. Standing there, just in front of the counter, I could see the Winchesters sleeping in the living room. Briefly, I considered going in there and waking Dean up. After all, it was time to talk. He was a hunter, though, and I felt confident that it would be unnecessary. I was right.

I just leaned back against the counter, giving my throbbing leg some respite, and the sound woke him. No more than a second went by before he turned his head and looked at me. My master had certainly picked a fine-tuned weapon. He seemed a little unsure of himself, but he came.

"Excellent job with the witnesses," I said. I'd never been one for 'hi, how are you'.

"You were hip to all this?" Dean asked.

"I was, um, made aware."

"Well, thanks a lot for the angelic assistance. You know I almost got my heart ripped out of my chest!"

"But you didn't."

Apparently that wasn't what he wanted to hear though. The boy seemed to enjoy going on tirades. I wasn't going to deny him that, so I listened while he vented. Unfortunately, he was just making his ignorance known. Fluffy wings? Halos? Michael Landon? It might have been amusing if it wasn't what he'd been accustomed to thinking.

"Read the Bible," I said at last. "Angels are warriors of God. I'm a soldier."

"Yeah, then why didn't you fight."

He had no idea, but I'm not the sort to give others my troubles. Still, it took an effort to simply say "I'm not here to perch on your shoulder. We had larger concerns."

"Concerns?" He echoed. I got the feeling I'd struck a nerve. His voice became a quiet growl. Something told me that things might have gone differently if he hadn't been worried about waking Sam up. His doubt was evident, his anger even more so, and I realized that I shouldn't have delayed in coming to him as he finished with "If there really is a God." We were on even shakier ground now, if that was possible. Still, I couldn't change what had happened.

"There's a God." It came out as a sort of automatic response.

"I'm not convinced. 'Cause if there is a God, what," If possible his expression seemed to get even darker. This man had a lot of wrath that he was carrying around. I've no doubt that, had I been anyone else, he would have shoved me into a wall by now. "is he waiting for, huh? Genocide? Monsters roaming the earth? The freakin' apocalypse?!" He went on, nearly boiling over. The odd thing was, in the end he asked the same question every child had; when does God decide to step in, why doesn't he help?

Great. The man who didn't believe in God or angels wanted me to delve into why's? I could do it, but what was the use? He was too angry, too focused on the short term. He wouldn't accept it, not now, not yet. Pearls before swine, as my master would say. So I settled for the cliched old "The Lord works-"

Not surprisingly, he cut me off with a threat.

Shrugging helplessly, I realized I couldn't blame him too much for that one.

"So Bobby was right? 'Bout the witnesses? This is some kind of a... sign of the apocalypse?"

"That's why we're here. Big things afoot."

"Do I wanna know what kind of things?"

"I sincerely doubt it, but you need to know. The rising of the witnesses is one of the Sixty-six Seals."

"Kay, I'm guessin' that's not a show at Sea World."

"Those seals are being broken... by Lillith."

At long last, some understanding lit his face. "She did the spell. She rose the witnesses."

I agreed. "And not just here. Twenty other hunters are dead."

"Of course. She picked victims the hunters couldn't save so they would barrel right after us."

"Lillith has a certain sense of humor."

"But we put those spirits back to rest."

He really didn't get it, did he? "Doesn't matter, the seal was broken."

"Why break the seal anyway?"

How much easier would my job have been if this kid had ever bothered to crack the lid on Revelation? "You think of the seals as locks on a door."

"Kay, last one opens and...?"

"Lucifer walks free."

"Lucifer? I thought Lucifer was just a story they told at...demon sunday school. There's no such thing."

"Three days ago you thought that there was no such thing as me," I reminded him. "Why do you think we're here, walking among you now for the first time in two-thousand years?"

"To stop Lucifer?"

I nodded. "It's why we've arrived."

"Well... bang up job so far. Stellar work with the witnesses. It's nice."

Now I felt my temper simmering. "We tried." Even I was impressed with how calm I kept my voice. "There are other battles. Other seals. Some we'll win, some we'll loose. This one we lost."

Still, he just shook his head.

My voice was tighter now. "Our numbers are not unlimited. Six of my brothers died in the field this week." Largario, Mauraz, and Cauco, old comrades that Mulegns said were gone. Ilanz. Monible who had died while under my command. Portien, good friend and protege of sorts. The names seemed to echo in my mind. "You think the armies of Heaven should just follow you around?" Portien died rescuing this... man. "There's a bigger picture here." My temper flared. "You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of Hell, and I can throw you back in."

I knew I couldn't stay there anymore then, I might end up doing something that I'd regret. So I blinked and left him to think things through on his own.

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2nd Author's Note: Alright, so as I said, this was where I was originally planning to end this story. HOWEVER... there seems to be some call for me to continue with this (not to mention a lot of support and encouragement from some awesome reviewers)... and after watching It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester, I decided that the show is giving me enough to work with. It's still possible that nothing will happen... it really depends on school and my muse, but there's a pretty good chance at this point. So here's the thing... I'm hitting the "pause" button on this story for a while, letting my muse get some R 'n R, catching up on school, and testing to see what I can come up with. If I do end up continueing, I'm not sure whether I should just add more chapters or just do a sequel. So if you have an opinion, drop me a line and let me know... please.

PS. While many folks are getting me excited about a continuation... you'll have to thank bhoney as the chief architect... every darn message they send me has a plot bunny attatched... my dorm room is starting to look like a darn petting zoo. :P

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	15. Unknown Variables

Disclaimer: Once again, don't own anything.

Author's Note: At long last... the next chapter. Now, I can't promise you regularity or speed at this point (thanks to school and the like), but I am working on this story again. Here we have some twiddling of thumbs, an answer or two, and a boatload of questions. Enjoy.

* * *

I opened my eyes again and looked around. Why I picked the Safeway parking lot near the hospital, I don't think I'll ever know for sure, but it was probably the only place I could go that wouldn't force me to see Mulegns again. My first instinct, of course, was to do something productive, but I couldn't decide exactly what that would be. After all, the Winchesters were my only current assignment, and there was nothing to be done for them for some time now. I had to give Dean an opportunity to mull over what I'd told him. He was that sort of man.

Out of sheer boredom, I found myself actually walking through the automatic doors and into the bustling store. It was strange; threading my way through streams of humans piling groceries into shopping carts and hushing screaming children. Though it would have been easy to say that my reaction was simply due to the fact that I hadn't been among humans for millennia, that would not have been the truth. Now that I thought about it, I'd spent my whole time down here averting one crisis after another. I'd been in hospitals, churches, several fights, and anywhere the Winchesters chose to situate themselves. I hadn't spent any time simply mingling with the humans. Standing here, watching the milling crowed with all it's variety, wanting nothing more than to make ends meet, it was easy to think that the war was simply a dream.

Curiously, I walked down an isle, looking at the different products that were being offered. Most of it was tucked away in brightly colored packages displaying images of what was inside. Most of it didn't look the least bit appetizing. I found myself coming to the conclusion that humans were strange creatures.

Suddenly I felt a light tug on my elbow. Spinning around, I found that my coat was in the pudgy grip of a child sitting in one of the rattling carts. The mother quickly apologized to me, peeling her daughters hand away and shoving the cart forward, obviously trying to hide her embarrassment. Still, the child stared at me, finger pointing. Her blue eyes held far more understanding than her eighteen months could ever hope to explain. I frowned and watched her disappear around the corner.

Odd.

Coming back to the matter at hand, I realized that I'd exhausted the possibilities presented to me by the market and I still had to wait a good while longer before going back to speak with Dean. There is nothing so frustrating as being in a situation where every second matters and having to let so many slip through your fingers. I needed to be using it somehow; coming up with some sort of plan, something that would keep Dean from running when he finally learned the full truth of things.

I stepped back out of the store and moved out of public view before whispering a few words to my Master. Then I waited. After a moment, I began to see a form materializing in front of me. I was surprised to find that it was none other than Michael. Surely he had more important things to be doing. Still, I wouldn't refuse such an opportunity.

"I hear that you are needing some help," Michael began.

"You could say that," I replied.

"Well?"

I sighed. "I don't know what to do from this point."

"How do you mean? You're supposed to guide Dean."

"That's the problem, actually. Our last meeting was... problematic."

"Castiel, just tell me. Please."

"It's not that surprising really. He seems to think he can put us on a leash, or perhaps, that he should. He was asking why our Master hasn't stepped in sooner and why we don't carry harps."

Michael quirked an eyebrow at that. "So, in other words, he's pulling the usual stunts?"

"Exactly. But I'm worried. I think he'll bolt if we tell him."

"I'm afraid we've got bigger problems on our hands."

"Lillith's broken another seal? She can't move that fast."

"No, with Dean."

I felt my brow furrow and found myself studying my commander closely. "What?"

"Dean got off the rack."

"That's not surprising. No one lasts down there."

"It's not just that. Remember your 'friend' from Limon?" He nodded toward my leg, reminding me of the throb that was slowly ebbing.

"How could I forget."

"Apparently he's quite the fan of Dean's."

Suddenly something clicked. "I saw him there," I said, turning searching blue eyes on Michael. "The demon. In Hell." Still, I shook my head, not understanding where this was going.

In return, Michael sighed. "The new intelligence we've been gathering says that Dean was quite popular in certain circles down there... particularly Alistair's."

Now, I understood. "They tried to make him theirs."

"It sounds like they succeeded."

"He's shone no sign so far."

"He may not remember everything yet, but he will. And when he does... We don't know who we have on our hands anymore."

I shook my head. "Our enemy can implant suggestions, thoughts, make humans think they're their own. That might be all this is."

"Perhaps, but we have no way of knowing. Even if that's all it is, we don't know how he'll react. Dean could be a disaster just waiting to happen."

My frown just kept getting deeper as this conversation went on. True, Dean was an idiot, a fool, an angry man, and an arrogant one too, but nothing in his records, or in what I'd seen so far pointed to evil. Then again, there was a reason Michael was an archangel and I was not. "Do you have any test in mind?" I asked.

"No. Not yet. We'll try to come up with something, but in the mean time, we'll have to wait and see."

"Now I have two problems. Thanks."

"Well, maybe if you think about it long enough, you'll come up with some sort of solution."

"Maybe."

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you; Bister is doing well."

"That's good to hear."

"I thought you'd want to know. Also, if you get too terribly bored waiting for Dean to come around, you can always try to track down Romairon again. I'm sure he could find something for you to do."

"He's still in charge?"

"Honestly, that was a doomed mission. If we'd known then what we know now about the enemy's force-"

"You still would have sent us."

"True, but none of you are being blamed for the outcome of that fight." Michael started to turn away then, but he stopped. "One more thing."

"Yes."

"Your 'friend''s hunting you."

"What?"

"Well, not so much you, I suppose, as Dean. Although I doubt he'd mind killing either of you. Last report I heard, he was only about forty miles away from Bobby Singer's house and closing. With anyone else, I would tell you to keep them on the move, but the Winchesters don't have that problem. Just... be aware and try to cover your tracks."

"I will."

"And Castiel?"

"Yes."

"I know you're worrying about keeping those boys out of trouble, but try to take care of yourself too, while you're at it."

I gave a nod and watched as he faded from view.

So I was back on my own again. Somehow I had to find the answer to this riddle. There had to be something. Looking around, I found a portion of the curb that was bright with sunlight and sat down on it, chin nestled in my hands. I had to come up with something and it had to be soon. Our enemies were not the sort you wanted to trifle with. I couldn't give them time to catch up.

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Author's Second Note: For those of you who may be wondering about the kid in the first portion; there's a bit of a legend that babies can see angels which I decided to play off of.


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